Grant: Operating Grant

Within Canada, injury remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Some populations are more vulnerable to injury than others. Agricultural populations experience very high rates of injury, yet evidence surrounding underlying causes of agricultural injury remains limited. As part of an organized and long-term effort to understand more about the causes of agricultural injuries in Canada, in 2005 CIHR funded our research team to develop a cohort of farm families in Saskatchewan. Phase 1 of this initiative was highly successful. The theoretical base for this study was population health theory; hence much of this research focuses on determinants of injury on farms. Because of our unique sampling frame and the breadth of our baseline survey, additional analyses allowed our group to understand other risk factors for injury, as well as other contributors to health in farm populations. The current grant application is for Phase 2 of this cohort study. The primary focus is to further understanding about physical, economic, and cultural environments and their effects on injury rates in agricultural populations. We propose to follow our general cohort of 2,390 farms (5,502 people) for an additional 3 years. We also propose an expanded focus on injuries experienced by members of vulnerable populations through the establishment of a child and young worker cohort. Data from the two cohorts will also permit us to study potential causes of other health outcomes specific to agricultural populations, as well as their prevention. This project addresses multiple CIHR research priorities, and involves a strong research team. Our focus on vulnerable subgroups in the agricultural sector is timely. Our long-term goal is to provide useful evidence for this important segment of Canada's rural population.